


What The Day Brings

by obsessions123



Series: The Core Project [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alzheimer's Disease, Old Age, Possibly Triggering, Quarantine Life, Read at Your Own Risk, Sad, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessions123/pseuds/obsessions123
Summary: Ruth has lost hope.
Series: The Core Project [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717036
Kudos: 3





	What The Day Brings

It had been especially hard on Ruth. Her husband had died a few years ago so the aspect of living alone wasn’t a change, but the fact that her grandkids could no longer visit was sad. She used to sit on the front porch and chat with her neighbor Henrietta from across the street, but she wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. They were so used to their routine though Henrietta sat on her own front porch while Ruth sat on hers. Neither of them could talk loud enough for very long to be able to have a conversation across the street, but it was the thought of company that was nice. They would both yell a good morning to each other and sit and then sip their tea and just listen. 

The morning was her favorite time of day, not just because of her tea time with Henrietta. She liked waking up with the birds and the feel of the sunshine on her face shining through the blinds. When she was younger she would have thrown a pillow over her face and turned away from the window, wanting to sleep in as long as she could without being disturbed by the sun’s intrusive presence. She has a greater respect for the sun now though. Each day the sun rises it brings so much more than just light. It brings hope, it brings experience, it brings life.

A few years ago, when her grandkids were still little toddlers, was when she decided she loved the sun rising up and a new day beginning because that was when she got to see them all running around and playing. Her daughter would bring them over and Ruth would watch them play in the little sandbox she still had from when her kids were little. She was younger then too and would sit outside with them and listen to their little babbling as the sun shone on her face and the wind gently blew her hair behind her. 

She had felt that same happiness when she was a new mom, but as her kids got older and moved out, she slept in longer again. She found new motivation in helping raise her grandkids and spending every moment with them. Of course, they are all grown up now, but Ruth still liked rising with the sun. Even though her Henry was gone, she was happy. She’d go to the store or to whatever restaurant she liked. She liked to go shopping a lot because she loved buying things for her grandkids. When her husband was still alive she would buy them things, but he was a frugal man and would limit her spending. Now that he is gone, she finds herself spending way too much on useless things for her grandkids. It makes her happy though. It makes her feel like she is still a part of their maturing lives.

Her son said she wasn’t allowed to go shopping anymore, or out to eat. She’d have to stay home until the government allowed older people out of their homes. The sickness that was going around was the most dangerous for older people. It was still so strange to think of herself as an older person. She was 81 but she still felt like she should be in her 30’s. It’s hard to feel like we age when that voice in our head that we discovered in kindergarten sounds the same.

Because of that illness though, that meant that she couldn’t even visit with her son when he dropped off the groceries. It would be dangerous if she were to come into contact with him. She only waved to him as he pulled out of her driveway. She tried to hide the tears that would fall down her cheeks as he drove away, but he always saw them. She just wanted to hug her son. She just wanted to see her grandkids. She missed her family terribly. She hated being alone. It had begun to get harder and harder to wake up with the sun every morning, but she really made a conscious effort not to slip back into those sad years.

Her family worried about her. They had noticed that she was finally beginning to show her age. Of course she had looked old for years, but she had always been so quick and with it. Right before it all started they had been considering putting her in a nursing home so she wouldn’t be lonely when they couldn’t come to visit. After everything though they decided it would be safer to keep her at home, they’d just have to make sure they didn’t lose contact.

In the beginning they called often, but eventually the ringing from her phone stopped coming as frequently. It wasn’t their fault though, it was hard on everyone, it had just been especially hard for Ruth. She couldn’t even remember she had a phone sometimes. She had an urge to get up early when the sun began to shine through the blinds, but she’d roll over and hold the pillow over her eyes, just wanting to get a few more minutes of sleep. 

When she remembered she needed to go to see Henrietta she’d hop out of bed and grab her tea cup. She found herself waiting on her front porch for Henrietta, but then she’d remember that Henrietta died years ago. 

The days started blending together as they passed. She couldn’t keep track on a calendar because she would forget to mark the days, and she had all but lost her phone somewhere in her house. Her son would come to drop off the groceries, but the tears didn’t fall anymore. She had forgotten who the man was that dropped food off for her every week.

The sun comes up every morning. She used to wonder what it would bring each day. She used to be more optimistic, but she doesn’t remember that anymore. All she knows is this. The day brings nothing but the sun.


End file.
